Surcharger for aeroplane engines



Patented Nov. 24, 1925.

UNITED STATES CLAUDE mi` ROCHEFQRT-LUQAY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SRCHARGER FOR AEROPLANE ENGINES.

Application led. October 12, v1922. Serial No. 594,132.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CLAUDE DE ROCHEFORT- LUQAY, a citizen of France, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Surchargers for Aeroplane Engines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use ythe same.

My invention relates primarily to improvements in aeroplane engines and has for its object to provide a novel association of parts for increasing the amount of compression in the engine cylinders, which is particularly advantageous when the -engine is operated at high altitudes. Devices have heretofore been designed for forcing compressed air through the carbureter and intake manifold of an aeroplane engine to increase the amount of explosive mixture supplied to the engine cylinders to a point considerably above atmospheric-pressure, but it is the aim of my invention to provide a simple arrangement of parts which will supply compressed air or. a mixture of 'compressed air and gas to the engine cylinders during the compression strokes of their pistons.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawing in which a vertical sectional view of an aeroplane engine is shown, constructed in accordance with my invention.

In the drawing above brieliy described, the numeral 1 designates the crank case of an aeroplane or other form of internal combustion engine, and the numeral 2 refers to one of the engine cylinders having the usual intake valve 3 and exhaust valve 4 operated by suitable means. Within the cylinder 2 is the usual piston 5 which is linked to the crank shaft 6 in the crank case 1, by a connecting rod 7. All of-these parts are well known.

A separate chamber 8, independent of the exhaust and intake chambers, is formed in the head of the cylinder 3 and communication between this chamber 8 and the interior of the cylinder, is controlled by a spring closed valve 9. A cam shaft 9 and suitable connections between this shaft and the valve 9 are employed for opening the latter upon the compression stroke of the piston .5 so

as to admit compressed air or a mixture ofv compressed air and gas into the cylinder at thatl time.

The numeral 10 designatesl a tank into which air or a mixture of air and gas is compressed to a greater pressure than that which exists in the cylinder 2, during the' piston 13 of the compressor being con-4 nected with the crank shaft 6 by a suitable connecting rod 14. The numerals 15 and 16 designate the intake and exhaust valves of the cylinder 12 and when said valve 16 is open, the air, gas or the like which is compressed by the piston 13, is forced into the tank 1() by means of a pipe or passa-ge 17. It will be seen that since the engine is of the four-cycle type, compression only occurs in the cylinder 2 at every other revolution of the crank shaft. However, the piston 13 makes a compressing stroke at each revolution of the crank shaft and hence it maintains a volume of air or the like in the tank 10, twice as great as the normal volume of the cylinder 2, it being of course understood that the cylinders 2 and 12 are of the same dimensions and that their pistons have a uniform stroke. Thus, the cylinder 2 will be highly charged upon the compression stroke of the piston 5, by the compressed air or the like entering said cylinder from the tank 10, when the valve 9 is opened by means of the cam shaft 9 and associated parts. By increasing the compression in the cylinder in this manner, it will be obvious that the power derived from the engine is greatly multiplied.

As excellent results may be obtained from the details disclosed, they may be followed if desired, but it is to be understood that within the scope of the invention as claimed. numerous changes may be made, the present dislclosure being for illustrative purposes on y.

What is claimed is 1. In an internal combustion engine, a crank case, a crank shaft rotatable therein,

cylinders extending from said crank case, pistons in said cylinders having piston rods connected with said crank shaft for causing uniform reciprocation of the pistons during rotation of the shaft, one of the cylinders being a power cylinder and having a valvedontrolled fuel inlet and a valvecontrolled exhaust, an air inlet and a valve for said air \inlet; the other cylinder constituting a compressor cylinder and having a valve controlled air inlet and a valve-controlled air outlet; an air reservoir having an inlet passage leading to the valve-controlled air outlet of said compressor cylinder and having also an outlet passage leading to said air inlet of said power cylinder, and means for opening said air inlet valve of the power cylinder to admit compressed air from said reservoir during compression in said'power cylinder.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a crank case, a crank shaft rotatable therein, cylinders of substantially uniform working volume extending from said crank case in opposed relation, pistons in said cylinders having piston rods connected with said crank shaft for causing uniform reciprocation of the pistons during rotation of the shaft, one of the cylinders being a power cylinder, and having 'a valve-controlled fuel" inlet and a valve-controlled exhaust, an air inlet and a valve for said air inlet; the other cylinder constituting a compressor cylinder and having a valve-controlled air inlet and a valve-controlled air outlet, an air reservoir having an inlet pipe leading to the valvecontrolled air outlet of said compressor cylinder, and having also an outlet pipe leading to said air inlet of said power cylinder, and means for opening said air inlet valve of the power cylinder during compression in said power cylinder and at no other time.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aliixed my signature.

CLAUDE DE ROCHEFORT-LUQAY. 

